lapag-e



(No, Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1. R. H. .LAPAGE. COMPOUND ENGINE N0.'405,569. Patented June 18, 1889.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

R. H. LAPAGE.

COMPOUND ENGINE.

No. 405,569. Patented June 18, 1889.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

R. H. LAPAGB. COMPOUND ENGINE.

No. 405,569. Patented June 18, 1889.

N PETERS. Pholo-Lilhqgnphur. Washinglnn, m;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD HERBERT 'LAPAGE, OF WVESTMINSTER, ENGLAND.

COMPOUND ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 405,569, dated June 18, 1889. Application filed December 30, 1887. Serial No. 259,429. (No model.) Patented in England January 8, 1887, N0. 310.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD HERBERT LA- PAGE, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at the city of \Vestminster, Kingdom of Great Britain and he land, have invented Improvements in Compound Engines, of which the following is a specification, (and for which Letters Patent of Great Britain and Ireland, No. 310, have been granted me, dated January 8, 1887.)

This invention has reference to compound locomotive-engines in which an interceptingvalve is provided in a pipe or passage that conducts to the low-pressure-cylinder valvechest steam that has done duty in the highpressure cylinder, such intercepting valve having for its object to close the connectingpassage during the admission of high-press ure steam direct to the low-pressure cylinderas, for instance, to start the engine when the crank connected to the piston of the high-pressure cylinder is on a dead-center, or when the high-pressure cylinder is disabled, or when it is desired to obtain additional power by working both cylinders as high pressure cylinders-the arrangement being such that when working as a compound 'engine the intercepting-valve will allow the steam that has done duty in the higlrpressure cylinder to pass to the low-prcssure cylinder.

Now, according to this invention, I provide in the pipe or passage between the high and low pressure cylinders combined or connect ed starting and intercepting valves arranged to operate in an automatic manner, as hereinafter described, so that when steam is admitted to the steam-chest of the high-pressure cylinder by the regulator for starting, or when the high-pressure exhaust is placed in communication with the atmosphere or with a condenser while the engine is at work, the starting-valve will be in, or will be caused by the pressure of steam from the regulator to assume, a position such that high-pressure steam will be admitted for use in the lowpressure cylinder, and the intercepting-valve will be in, or will be caused by the said steampressure to assume, a position in which it will close communication between the high and low pressure cylinders. I also provide the said pipe or passage with an exhaust valve and passage, whereby the high-pressure cylinder or cylinders may, when necessary, be placed in communication with the atmosphere or with a condenser. An auxiliary steamsupply valve may also be provided for admitting higlrpressure steam for use in the lowpressure cylinder when necessary, the said valve being combined with the high-pressure exhaustvalve in such a manner that when this valve is opened and closed the auxiliary steam-supply valve will be also opened and closed, as hereinafter described.

In the accompanying four sheets of illustrative drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section illustrating an arrangement of combined starting and intercepting valves and high-pressure exhaust-valve according to this invention to be applied in the connecting-pipe between the high and the low pressure cylinders. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line A B, Fig. 1, with means for operating a steam-cock, as hereinafter described. Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fig. 1, but illustrating another form of startingvalve. Fig. at is a longitudinal section illustrating another modification.

In Figs. 1 and 2, 1 1 is a plunger with grooves or recesses 2. The'plunger is provided with packing-rings 3, and is arranged to work through a cylindrical guide 4:, the lower opening t of which serves as a steam opening or port for high-pressure steam. The cylindrical guide 4: is in communication at its upper end with the atmosphere. The part I of the plunger 1 serves to close this opening or port when the intercepting-valve is wide open.

5 is an inlet-passage placed, when the apparatus is fixed, in direct communication with a main steam-supply valve 5* for admitting high-pressure steam thereto.

6 is an intercepting-valve It is in the form of a slide-valve in the example shown; but it may be a valve of other suitable form.

7 is a pipe or casing which is arranged to form part of the pipe or connection 7* between the high and the low pressure cylinders. It. is placed in communication atv the end shown to the left in Fig. 1 with the exhaust of the high-pressure cylinder or cylinders and The pipe or casing 7 is so constructed that the intercepting-valve may move completely out of the way of the exhaust-steam, so as to leave an unobstructed passage therefor from the high to the low pressure cylinders when the engine is working as a compound engine. By this means vibration of the interceptingvalve, that might otherwise be caused by the intermittent passage of exhaust-steam from the high to the low pressure cylinders, is obviated.

8 is a high-pressure exhaust-pipe.

9 is a high-pressure exhaust-valve for controlling the communication between the pipes '7 and 8.

10 is a rod for operating the valve 9 when desired.

11 is a forked lever-arm fixed to a shaft or pin 12, on which is fixed a second arm 13. The fork of leverarm 11 embraces a pin 10 on the rod 10, and is connected through arm 13 by any suitable means with a cock or Valve 14 for admitting additional live steam to the low-pressure cylinder when the highpressure exhaust-valve 9 is opened for working both cylinders as high-pressure cylinders. The intercepting-valve 6 is connected to the starting-valve bya pin 15, which takes into a slot 16 formed in the lower end of the plunger 1.

17 is a collar for limiting the upward movement of the plunger.

The starting and intercepting valves hereinabove described are arranged to work vertically, the intercepting-valve working against a suitable valve-face at 18 within the pipe or casing 7. The valves may in some cases be arranged to work in an inclined attitude.

The intercepting and starting valves are shown in the positions they assume by gravity when the regulator of the engine of which they form part is closed. Supposing the engine to be at rest and the main steam-supply valve to be opened, high-pressure steam will pass direct to the high-pressure cylinder, and by way of the passage 5, opening or port at, grooves or recesses 2 in plunger 1, the righthand portion of pipe or casing 7, and connecting-pipe to the steam-chest of the low-press:

ure cylinder. The intercepting-valve 6 thus will be forced by the steam so admitted against its seat with suflicient pressure to prevent its being moved upward by the pressure of steam against the unbalanced portion of the plunger 1-1. If the crank connected to the piston of the high-pressure cylinder be on a deadof the steam admitted from passage 5, which steam is wire-drawn and reduced in pressure. An equilibrium of steam-pressure will thus be set up in the casing 7 and connecting-pipe, and as the intercepting-valve will be no longer pressed against its seat the said valve and the plunger 1 1 will be raised by the steam acting upon the unbalanced portion of the said plunger until the part 1, constituting the starting-valve, closes the opening or port 4;, through which the plunger works, thereby shutting off the supply of high pressure steam through the inlet 5. The interceptingvalve will be drawn up by the plunger, so as to leave a free way between the high and low pressure cylinders, and the engine will then work as a compound engine. To work both cylinders with high-pressure steam-as, for instance, when greater power is required for ascending an incline, or for other purpose-.- the high-pressure exhaust-valve 9 must be opened, (which may be done while the engine is running,) so as to place the high-pressure exhaust in communication with the atmosphere or with a condenser. The pressure within the pipe or casing '7 being thus reduced, the combined intercepting and starting valves will automatically fall under the action of gravity and assume the positions shown in Fig. 1, closing the communication between the high and the low pressure cylinders and admitting high-pressure steam from the passage 5 to the steam-chest of the low-pressure cylinder. As the steam thus admitted is wire-drawn and reduced in pressure, it is advantageous to provide the auxiliary steamsupply valve 1 1, hereinbefore referred to, and arrange it between the combined starting and intercepting valves and low-pressure cylinder for admitting the requisite quantity of high-pressure steam thereto. This auxiliary steam-supply valve will be automatically operated by the'lever 11 to admit steam when the rod 10 is moved to open the high-pressure exhaust-valve 9, as hereinbefore stated. By again closing the high-pressure exhaustvalve 9 the additional supply of steam will be cut off, and the high-pressure exhaust-steam will cause the starting and intercepting valves to rise and the engine to work as a compound engine, as before.

In Fig. 3 the starting and intercepting Valves are arranged so that they can work horizontally or otherwise, the weight of the valves not being in this arrangement relied upon to aid in moving them. That part of the plunger 1 which acts as a starting-valve is of larger diameter than the part 1. At 19 is an annular surface exposed to steam is suing from the passage 5. 4t 4? are openings or ports in the cylindrical guide or casing 4 for the passage of high-pressure steam from the passage 5 to the low-pressure cylinder when the starting-valve is in the open posi tion. In other respects the construction and operation of the said valves and high-pressure exhaust-valve 9 are substantially the same as that hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2. I

In the arrangement shown in Fig. I the plunger 1 is of small diameter and is acted upon at its upper end by the pressure of steam from passage 5. 1 is a separate plunger acting as a guide-spindle The two plungers may be connected together and to the intercepting-valve, as shown, by a slotted part 1". 4* is an opening or port foradmittinghigh-pressure steam, as in Fig. 3. This arrangement of combined starting and intercepting valves may be used vertically, horizontally, or otherwise.

The combined starting and intercepting valves may be placed in any convenient position in the connecting pipe or passage between the high and low pressure cylinders; but sufficient steam-space should be left in the said pipe or passage between the valves and the high'pressure engine to allow such engine to exhaust one or more cylinders full of steam in order to reduce back-pressure.

A safety-valve may be provided to insure that the high-pressure steam admitted for use in the low-pressure cylinder shall not be of too high a pressure to be safely used therein.

By the use of apparatus constructed and combined in the manner hereinabove described high-pressure steam will be automatically admitted to the steam-chest of the lowpressure cylinder, for use therein at starting, or when the high-pressure exhaust is placed in direct communication with the atmosphere or a condenser, without the aid of the enginedriver, thereby preventing undue strains being thrown on the high pressure engine through inattention of the said driver to open the starting-valve, the object being to enable both the high and the low pressure engines always to exert their; power at starting, and thus obviating undue strain being thrown 011 one of the engines only.

What I claim is F 1. In a compound engine, the combination of a connecting pipe or receiver for conveying exhaust -st-eam from the high-pressure cylinder to the low-pressure cylinder, a valvecasein said pipe or receiver provided with an inlet-passage for high-pressure steam and an outletpassage for such steam to the lowpressure cylinder, an intercepting valve adapted to control the passage through said pipe or receiver, a starting-valve connected to said intercepting valve subject to the pressure of high-pressure steam and adapted to control the said outlet-passage, an unbalanced plunger connected to said intercepting and starting valves and subjected at one end to the pressure of steam and at the other end to the pressure of the external atmosphere, and a main steam-valve provided with separate supply-communications to said inlet-passage and to said high-pressure cylinder and constructed to simultaneously admit highpressure steam to said inlet-passage and to said high-pressure cylinder, said intercepting, starting, and main steam valves being so arranged and constructed that on the opening of the main steam-valve steam from the boiler, aided or not by gravity, will cause the intercepting-valve to close, thereby cutting off communication between the high andlow' pressure cylinders and simultaneously admitting high-pressure steam to the steamchests of the high and the low pressure cylinders, substantially as herein described, for the purposes set forth.

2. In a compound engine, the combination of a connecting pipe or receiver for conveying exhaust-steam from the high-pressure cylinder to the low-pressure cylinder, a valve-case in said pipe or receiver provided with an inlet-passage for high-pressure steam and an outlet-passage for such steam to the low-pressure cylinder, an intercepting-valve adapted to control the passage through said pipe or receiver, a starting-valve connected to said intercepting-valve subject to the pressure of high-pressure steam and adapted to control the said outlet-passage, an unbalanced plunger connected to said intercepting and starting valves and subjected at one end to the pressure of steam and at the other end to the pressure of the external atmosphere, a main steam-valve provided with separate supplycommunications to said inlet-passage and to said high-pressure cylinder and constructed 7 to simultaneously admit higlrpressure steam to said inlet-passage and to said high-pressure cylinder, a high-pressure exhaust-pipe communicating with said connecting pipe or receiver on the high-pressure side of said valve-case, and a valve for controlling the communication through said high-pressure exhaust-pipe, said intercepting-valve being adapted to automatically close and open communication between the said high and low pressure cylinders, and said starting-valve being adapted to automatically open and close said inlet and outlet passages, substantially as herein described, for the purposes set forth.

In a compound engine, the combination of a connecting pipe or receiver for conveying exhaust-steam from the high-pressure cylinder to the low-pressure cylinder, a valve-case in said pipe or receiver provided with an inlet-passage for high-pressure steam and an outlet-passage for such steam to the low-pressure cylinder, an intercepting-valve adapt-ed to control the passage through said pipe or receiver, a starting-valve connected to said intercepting-valve subject to the pressure of high-pressure steam and adapted to control the said outlet-passage, an unbalanced plunger connected to said intercepting and starting valves and subjected at one end to the pressure of steam and at the other end to the pressure of the external atmosphere, a main steam-valve provided with separate supplycommunications to said inlet-passage and to said higlrpressure cylinder, and constructed to simultaneously admit high-pressure steam to said inlet-passage and to said high-press ure cylinder, a high pressure exhaust-pipe communicating with said connecting pipe or receiver on the high-pressure side of said valve-case, a valve for controlling the communication through said high-pressure exhaust-pipe, an auxiliary valve adapted to admit an additional supply of high-pressure steam to said connecting pipe or receiver on the low-pressure side of said valve-casing, and means for connecting said high-pressure exhaust-valve to said auxiliary valve, substantially as herein described, for the purposes set forth.

4. In a compound engine, the combination of a pipe or casing 7, arranged to form part of a pipe or passage for conveying exhaust-steam from a high to a low pressure cylinder, a cylindrical guide 4 in communication at one end with the atmosphere and provided with steam-inlet 5 and outlet opening or port 4 for high-pressure steam, plunger 1, with part 1 and with a slot 16, an intercepting-valve 6, and a pin 15, connecting said interceptingvalve to said plunger, and a main steam-valve 5*, adapted, when opened, to simultaneously admit high-pressure steam both to the steam chest of the high-pressure cylinder and to said steam-passage 5, said plunger 1 being arranged to work in said guide 4 and subject at one end to the pressure of steam in said casing 7 and at the other end to the pressure of the atmosphere, and said part 1 being adapted to close said opening or port 4 when the intercepting-valve is opened, substantially as herein described, for the purposes set forth.

5. In a compound engine, the combination of a pipe or casing 7, arranged to form part of a pipe or passage for conveying exhaust-steam from a high to a low pressure cylinder, a cylindrical guide 4 in communication at one end with the atmosphere, and provided with steam-inlet 5 and opening or port 4 for highpressure steamj plunger 1, with part 1, adapted to close said opening or port 4, and with a slot 16, said plunger 1 being arranged to work in said guide 4 and subject at one end to the pressure of steam in said casing 7 and at the other end to the pressure of the atmosphere,

an intercepting-valve 6, pin 15, connecting said interceptingvalve to said plunger, a main steam-valve 5*, adapted, when opened, to simultaneously admit high-pressure steam both to the steam-chest of the high-pressure cylinder and to said steam-passage 5, a highpressure exhaust-pipe 8, and high-pressure exhaust-valve 9 for controlling the passage between said pipe 8 and said pipe or casing 7, substantially as herein described, for the purposes set forth.

6. In a compound engine, the combination of a pipe or casing 7, arranged to form part of a pipe or passage for conveying exhaust-steam from a high to a low pressure cylinder, a cylindrical guide 4 in communication at one end, with the atmosphere and provided with steam-inlet 5 and opening or port 4, plunger 1, arranged to work in said guide 4 and subject at one end to the pressure of steam in said casing 7 and at the other end to the pressure of the atmosphere, and provided with part 1, adapted to close said opening or port 4 and with a slot 16, an intercepting-valve 6, pin 15, connecting said intercepting-valve to said plunger, a main steam-valve 5*, adapted, when opened, to simultaneously admit highpressure steam both to the steam-chest of the high-pressure cylinder and to the said steampassage 5, an auxiliary steam-valve to admit additional high-pressure steam for use in said low-pressure cylinder, high-pressure exhaustpipe 8, high-pressure exhaust-valve 9, valverod 1.0, with pin 14, forked lever 11, shaft or pin 12, and arm 13, said arm 13 being connected with said auxiliary steam-valve, substantially as herein described, for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RICHARD HERBERT LAPAGE.

Witnesses:

CHARLES E. BROUGHAM, F. J. BROUGHAM, Both of 46 Lincolns Inn Fields, London. 

